


The Corridor

by Smittenwithdaydreams



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fake/Pretend Relationship, Internal Conflict, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Nightmare Spell, Unknown Hex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-08
Updated: 2019-01-08
Packaged: 2019-10-06 18:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17350409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Smittenwithdaydreams/pseuds/Smittenwithdaydreams
Summary: It was just a bet. A stupid, hard home-hitting bet. One Draco thought he couldn't possibly lose.





	The Corridor

**Author's Note:**

> Title: The Corridor  
> Author/Artist: Smittenwithdaydreams  
> Rating: General Audience   
> Board Position(or card image): The Charms Corridor   
> Prompt: -Not Established Relationship + either 1) Forced Proximity or 2) Fake Dating - Minimum: 31 Maximum: 531  
> Word Count: 719  
> Summary: It was just a bet. A stupid, hard home-hitting bet. One Draco thought he couldn't possibly lose. 
> 
> Beta'd by the incredible @OllieMaye!

“Your hands are sweaty, Potter.” Draco grimaced but didn’t remove his hand. He wouldn’t be the one to back down; Potter would cave soon enough. The corridor swarmed with students en route to their next class, their attentions tuned to their destination until an unknown voice shouted,

“Look! Harry’s holding hands with a Death Eater!”

Those within close proximity stopped, eyes hardened on their clasped hands; within thirty seconds, the corridor had been brought to a standstill. Draco’s hand squeezed Potter’s, desperate to spur the golden git into action. _The corridor_ became _fuzzy_ , the daylit stone cast _shadows_ —far _too many_ for Draco to _count_. _The children around him wore matching smiles, twisted and knowing. The skin on his forearm burned as though an iron had been firmly pressed, melting away the Dark Mark until the shadows formed it perfectly against every possible surface._

_"Harry’s holding hands with a Death Eater. Death Eater. Death Eater. Death Eater…”_

_A first year girl in front of him forced his gaze._

_“Like he could ever love someone like you.”_

_A fourth year boy, Hufflepuff, impossibly far away, but Draco heard him just as clearly._

_“You’re worthless, Draco. You don’t deserve him.”_

_Potter turned to him, his eyes brighter than Draco had ever see them. He yanked his arm out of Draco’s gasp and stepped away, joining the crowd. Draco heard him chuckle from every direction but his lips didn’t part; they too smiled at him in an all too familiar way. It didn’t matter, Draco didn’t need Potter’s lips to speak what he already knew._

_“You disgust me, Draco.”_

_“Draco, Draco, Draco.” No. Not him. Not here. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, boy.” The crowd was gone. The only person who stood before him now was...Lucius. “Did you honestly think I wouldn’t find out?”_

_“F-Father, please—”_

_“I should have known you’d be a queer, you’ve always disappointed me.”_

_“It’s just a bet,” Draco said, desperate. His Father had to understand it wasn’t real, that he would never…that he could never do anything like this, not really. “Please, listen to me. It’s not real.”_

_“Liar,” his Father spat and strode towards him, each step a shatter of glass in his ears, until his Father’s grip was on his shoulder; nails breaking the skin. “You’re filth. You’re nothing. You’re no son of mine.” He reached for Draco’s neck and tore the top three buttons off with one talon, exposing the black ribbon around his neck that was weighed down with the Malfoy family crest, carved out of silver._

_“Please, no…” Lucius pulled the heirloom from his neck with a snarl as he closed his eyes. A stray tear rolled down Draco’s cheek._

“Malfoy. Malfoy. **Draco**!” Draco opened his eyes and blinked. Potter was standing in front of him, his hand on his shoulder, his eyes radiating worry.

“Potter,” he mumbled, his head fuzzy. “What’re you doing? Where are we?”

“You were hit with some sort of spell,” Potter said, “Professor Flitwick has gone to get Madam Pomfrey. I think you...you were—it was kind of like a nightmare.” Draco frowned, his face not feeling quite right yet. He looked around the hallway, trying to blink the grogginess away. “I—I don’t, by the way. I don’t think you’re worthless.” Draco’s head snapped back, realisation whipping him harder than any medical remedy the school nurse could give him. He stepped back, his body swayed. “Don’t—”

“The bet’s off, Potter. Stay away from me.” He turned and walked away, his hand quickly wiping away the damp from his face. How could he have been so bloody stupid? Of course something like this would happen, and now...now Potter knew.

“Malfoy!” Harry shouted, his mind reeling. It was obvious Malfoy needed some time to calm down, but Harry had never heard of the spell used; even Flitwick seemed wary to counter it without further knowledge. Anything could happen; he could still be under the influence. ‘Stay with him, Potter,’ Flitwick had said. Harry knelt down to pick the necklace off the floor;the silver crest felt heavy in his hand as his thumb traced over it. He could still hear Malfoy’s footsteps echoing off the walls, his decision made. He only hoped this wouldn’t end up like the last time he’d followed Malfoy, emotionally distraught.


End file.
